Taiwanese Air Force

Key facts

Official Name Taiwanese Air Force
Local Name 中華民國空軍 (Zhōnghuá Mínguó Kōngjūn)
Country🇹🇼 Taiwan
World rank#13
Active aircrafts732 as of 2025
Aircrafts on order78
Roundel

Roundel of Taiwan air force

Overview

The Republic of China Air Force (ROCAF) is a modern military force structured and organized in a manner similar to the United States Air Force. Its primary mission is to defend the airspace over and around Taiwan. The main operational units consist of six tactical combat aircraft wings, supplemented by transport, anti-submarine, tactical control, communication, and weather forecasting wings. A key component of its structure is the Air Defense and Artillery command, which integrates an extensive network of air defense assets. To enhance survivability, the ROCAF has invested in hardening key facilities and constructing underground hangars to protect its aircraft from missile strikes.

The ROCAF's strategic doctrine is centered on the "Overall Defense Concept," a framework that emphasizes asymmetric warfare, leveraging Taiwan's geographic advantages and civilian infrastructure to deter and defeat a potential invasion. This doctrine moves away from a traditional focus on fighting across the Taiwan Strait to an "offshore engagement" posture, aiming to attrite an invading force before it can reach the island. This strategy prioritizes force preservation through measures such as camouflage, deception, and rapid runway repair. Joint operations with the Army and Navy are integral to this doctrine, reflecting a shift toward a more integrated defense-in-depth.

In recent years, the ROCAF has engaged in frequent scrambling of its fighter jets to intercept People's Liberation Army Air Force aircraft operating in Taiwan's Air Defense Identification Zone. These encounters test the ROCAF's readiness and resolve, though they have not escalated into direct combat.

To counter the growing technological disparity with potential adversaries, the ROCAF is undergoing significant modernization. The cornerstone of this effort is the upgrade of 139 existing F-16A/B jets to the F-16V standard and the procurement of 66 new-build F-16 Block 70 aircraft. This program provides the fleet with advanced AN/APG-83 Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) radar, modern mission computers, and compatibility with advanced U.S.-made munitions, including the AIM-120D air-to-air missile and AGM-88 High-Speed Anti-Radiation (HARM) missile. Additionally, Taiwan is developing an indigenous advanced jet trainer to replace its aging F-5 fleet and is in the process of decommissioning older assets to optimize resources for modern systems. These modernization programs, however, have faced delays in the delivery of new equipment.

Origin countries of aircrafts

Country Active Aircraft
🇺🇸 United States 501
🇹🇼 Taiwan 175
🇫🇷 France 56
🇩🇪 Germany 3

Evolution of Taiwanese Air Force fleet

Aircrafts by type in 2025

Aircraft type Active
Combat Combat 379
Helicopter Helicopter 236
Training Training 80
Transport Transport 20
Other Other 17

Full inventory in 2025

Republic of China Air Force

Aircraft Type Model Origin Country Model Year Active 𝚫 YoY Ordered
CombatCombat F-16A/V 🇺🇸 1979 111
0
56
CombatCombat F-CK-1C 🇹🇼 1994 103
0
0
CombatCombat Mirage 2000-5EI 🇫🇷 1983 44
-1
0
CombatCombat F-5F 🇺🇸 1965 32
-3
0
CombatCombat F-16B/V 🇺🇸 1979 27
+1
10
CombatCombat F/RF-5E 🇺🇸 1976 27
0
0
CombatCombat F-CK-1D 🇹🇼 1994 26
0
0
CombatCombat Mirage 2000-5DI 🇫🇷 1983 9
0
0
HelicopterHelicopter S-70/UH-60M 🇺🇸 1979 9
0
0
HelicopterHelicopter H225M 🇩🇪 🇫🇷 2005 3
0
0
TransportTransport C-130H 🇺🇸 1956 20
0
0
TrainingTraining AT-3 🇹🇼 1984 46
-1
0
TrainingTraining T-34 🇺🇸 1953 34
0
0
OtherOther P-3C 🇺🇸 1962 12
0
0
OtherOther E-2K 🇺🇸 1964 5
0
0

Republic of China Army

Aircraft Type Model Origin Country Model Year Active 𝚫 YoY Ordered
HelicopterHelicopter AH-1W 🇺🇸 1967 62
0
0
HelicopterHelicopter OH-58 🇺🇸 1967 37
0
0
HelicopterHelicopter S-70/UH-60M 🇺🇸 1979 35
0
0
HelicopterHelicopter AH-64E 🇺🇸 1984 29
0
0
HelicopterHelicopter Bell 206 🇺🇸 1967 29
0
0
HelicopterHelicopter CH-47SD 🇺🇸 1962 8
0
0

Republic of China Navy

Various public data, including Wikipedia, Flightglobal.com, SIPRI Arms Transfer and official government websites.